Our Mission

“We are committed to providing all students with a well-rounded education that instills respect for human dignity and diversity, validates the history and culture of all ethnic groups and encourages students and parents to actively participate in the learning process.”

Since 1992, the Ya Ne Dah Ah School has striven to teach, preserve, and rejuvenate the Ahtna Athabascan language, culture, songs, dances, earth stewardship, and history of Chickaloon Village. Using traditional methods, the cultural teacher, Athabascan Elders, parents, and community members teach our language, traditional values, ethics, and cultural traditions to our future generations. These methods combined with a high quality academic curriculum meet the needs of our youth by helping them gain an understanding of western educational principles.

The Ya Ne Dah Ah School is an independent school that views Native Education as an important asset to all children’s learning. The YNDA School has developed cultural standards that include not only western educational standards but have our Athabascan traditional values and beliefs. Each grade level has a unique and individual curriculum standard for inspiring each child’s level of achievement.

 Objectives

1. To teach the Ahtna Athabascan language stories, dances, traditions, songs, cultural values, caring for our surroundings, survival skills, and history of Chickaloon Village and other Alaska Native/Native American Indians.
2. To promote a high level of education that maximizes the intellectual abilities of our children.
3. To teach students tribal sovereignty issues and their right to self-determination.
4. To develop a community-based educational curriculum that will integrate both standard curriculum and our Ahtna Athabascan/Native American culture.
5. To teach children to survive on their own by learning how to cook, clean and take care of self and others.
6. To prepare the next generation of tribal leadership with the strong academic skills they will need, as well as strong traditional values.
7. To teach traditional values that children would not get in the public school, such as respect, listening to elders, responsibility, honesty, cooperation instead of competition, care for the environment, working for elders and caring for others.

Athabascan presenters and curriculum are available to share our culture with others.  Curriculum meets Alaska Standards.

> Ya Ne Dah Ah School History

If you are interested in becoming a partner in enriching a child’s life through learning our Athabascan culture please contact the:
Ya Ne Dah Ah School
P.O. Box 1105
Chickaloon, Alaska 99674
(907) 745-0793